Propelling and finishing units



Aug. 8, 1939. H. H. BARBER PROPELLING AND FINISHING UNITS Filed Dec. 17, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FE UP f/erry @{Zzrlen Aug. 8, 1939. H. H. BARBER PROPELLING AND FINISHING UNITS Filed Dec. 17, 1936 5 Shets-Sheet 2 o o o 0 Q R wm m 2 h K mm 0 mm 8 Qw o 1 QV Q .0 4 x l Q m I a l. Mu Nm o o I i NE G a a 0 a m x aw w m 1757 UP 7/a1'r7'&1:dem

A 1939- -H. H. BARBER 2,168,507

PROPELLING AND FINISHING UNITS Filed Dec. 17, 19.36 5 sheets-sheet :5

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Aug. 8, 1939. A R 2,168,507

PROPELLING AND FINISHING UNITS' Filed Dec. 17, 1936 5 Shee ts-Sheet 4 Wzrry 7/ .zame'n "4 Q Aug 39 4 H. H. BARBER I 2,168,507

PRQPELLING AND-FINISHING UNITS I Fiied Dec. 17, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Aug. 8, 1939 PATENT OFFICE PROPELLIN G AND FINISHING UNITS Harry H. Barber, Aurora, 111., assignor to Barber- Greene Company, Aurora, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Application December 17, 1936, Serial No. 116,283

22 Claims.

This invention relates to a self-propelled finishing machine designed for travelling movement under its own power and adapted for propelling a truck that delivers the road building material.

It is an object of this invention to combine such a pavement finishing machine, as shown in United States Letters Patent No. 2,138,828, with power means for propelling the same so that prepared road making material may be dumped in front of 10. the same by a truck or the like.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means for elevating the screed and tampers and supporting the same in elevated position for obtaining a predetermined thickness of pave- 15, ment or for travelling purposes.

It is also an object of this invention to provide operating means for the tampers that will adjust itself for adjustment of the screed and tampers.

With these and other objects in View which will become apparent in the following description, this invention comprises the novel structure and combinations of parts hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred form of this invention and in which similar reference numerals refer to similar features in the different views:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a road finishing machine involving this invention, with parts shown in section.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the machine with the front parts omitted.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the machine taken substantially upon the line III--III of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan ,9 view of the front part of the machine.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary front end elevational View of the machine.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic plan view of the operating parts of the machine.

The machine is supported upon a pair of crawlers l which are covered with frame housings 2. Adjacent the inner side of each housing 2 there is located a plate 3 that has an upwardly extending Vertical portion 4 (Figure 1) that extends beyond the rear end of the crawlers. To the front ends of the plates 3, there is welded an angle plate 5 (Figure 1) which consists of a vertical flange 5a extending between the front edges of the plates 3 and a horizontal flange 5b that is welded at its ends to the lower margins of the plates 3. The top margins of the front portions of the plates 3 are connected by a plate 6 which is welded thereto and which is also welded to the top of the flange 5a. The plate 6 is shorter than the plate 5 and the inner edges of these plates have a diagonal plate I welded thereto that naturally slopes downwardly and rearwardly. If desirable, an extension plate la shown in dotted lines may be hinged to the top of the plate 1, to form an extension of said plate for a purpose that will later appear. It will of course .be understood that the plate la should be so hinged that it can be superposed upon the plate I and that the hinges will maintain the same, as shown in dotted lines, when the same is extended. The plates 5, 6 and 1 form a box-like structure adapted for containing some material 8 for counter-balancing purposes. It might be mentioned that the sloping plate 1 and its extension la, when used, serve as a chute down which road building material may be poured from a truck 9.

Upon the front face of the angle plate 5, there is welded a channel bar l0. Upper and lower angle guide blocks II are welded to the flanges of the channel H]. An equalizing bar l2 in the form of a channel is located between the upper and lower guide blocks l I and is pivotally connected to the two center guide blocks by a pivot pin l3. Elongated rollers M are suitably journalled in the channel of the equalizing bar I2 adjacent the ends thereof. These rollers project slightly beyond the channel for engaging the wheels I 5 (Figure-1) of the truck 9 for advancing the same during the operation of the finishing machine.

The side frame plates 3 are pivotally supported by means of the operating shaft l6 (Fig. 1) for the crawlers that extend through suitable apertures in said plates. These side plates 3 con; stitute the load sustaining members for the engine and operating mechanism, and for this reason the counter-balance 8 is required.

The road paving elements comprise a screed I1 and a pair of tampers l8 and I9, as in my copending application. The screed I1 is attached to a pair of side arms 20 in a manner similar to that shown in my issued patent, by means of lugs 2| on the side arms pivoted to the side plates 22 of the screed and by means of screw rods 23 threaded in pivot blocks on the arms and screed. These screws are adjustable for tilting the screed for varying the thickness of the pavement.

The front ends of the arms 20 which incline downwardly are pivoted to shoes 24 which slide upon the roadway adjacent the crawlers. These arms 20 are pivotally connected by means of links 25 (Figure 4) to the front end of the crawler housings 2. For this purpose, suitable studs 28 secured to the front ends of the orawlenhousings by means of blocks 21 project tothe outer sides of said housings for pivotally supporting the forward ends of said links. The front ends of said arms are also pivotally connected to said blocks 21 by means of lateral links 28 which tend to prevent side sway of said arms.

Between the vertical portions 4 of the plates 3 and adjacent the forward edges thereof, there is welded a plate 28 (Figure 3) that extends downwardly to a point adjacent the curves in the front edges thereof, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. Rearwardly of the plate 28, a channel bar 38 is welded between the plate portions 4. An angle bar 3| is welded to the front surface of the plate 28 at the same elevation as the channel bar 38. A platform 32 is supported upon the channel 38 and the angle bar 3| for sustaining the engine 33. It will be noted that the vertical portion 4 of the plate 3 adjacent the engine 33 terminates substantially flush with the platform 32 so that the engine may project beyond the same, as shown in Figure 2. The engine shaft extends into a con ventional change speed transmission casing 34 from which a shaft 35 extends across the platform 32 and into a second change speed transmission casing 36.

The intermediate portion of the shaft 35 is supported by bearings 31 (Figure 3). extending from inclined supports 38. The inclined supports 38 are in spaced relation, as shown in Figure 2, and they extend downwardly from the top of a sheet metal box or structure 38 resting upon the platform 32 until they abut the platform 32.

Upon the shaft 35 are journalled a pair of arms that support a shaft 4|. A pulley 42 secured upon the shaft 4| has a plurality of belts 43 trained thereover and also over a pulley 44 on the driving shaft 35. The shaft 4| is hence rotated from a driving connection with the shaft 35 and is capable of moving in an arc with the shaft 35 as a center without affecting such driving connection. A pulley 45 is secured upon the end of the shaft 4|. A plurality of belts 46 trained over the pulley 45 and. over a pulley 41 secured on a shaft 48 forms a driving connection for the shaft 48 which is the tamper operating shaft.

The shaft 48 is provided with two pair of eccentrics 48 at each end which are connected by eccentric straps 58 with the tampers 8 and IS. The shaft 48 is journalled in bearings 5| secured to a plate 52 supported upon channel bars 53 supported by the screed. The plate 52 is of course provided with suitable apertures for the eccentric straps. The shafts 4| and 48 are shown as provided with bearings 54 (Figure 3) adjustably connected by a rotatable screw 55. Any

number of such bearings 54 with screw connecare secured pulleys 56 by means of suitable pulley blocks 51 (Figures 2 and 3). Cables 58 which are anchored to the channel bar 38 are trained around the pulleys 56 and hence over guidepulleys 58 supported by brackets 68 secured to the channel beam 38. The cables 58 then extend horizontally and are secured to drums 6| fastened upon a shaft 62 which extends through the box-like structure 39. The ends of the shaft 62 are journalled in the plate portions 4 which may be provided with suitable bearings for such a purpose. One end of the shaft 62 extends through its side plate 4 and supports a spur gear 63. A housing 64 supported by the side plate extends above the gear 63. A small spur gear 65, shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, is mounted in said housing upon an arm of an operating crank 66 which is journalled in said housing. The spur gear meshes with the gear 63 with the result that when the crank 66 is rotated, in the proper direction, the shaft 62 will be rotated for winding up the cables 58 for elevating the screed. A pair of bracket arms 61 extend from the housing 64, and between these arms 61 there is pivotally mounted a pawl 68 that engages the gear 63 and prevents reverse rotation thereof. To lower the screed from an elevated position, the pawl 68 is disengaged from the gear, whereupon the screed and tampers will descend by gravity.

Between the side plates 3, there is welded a channel bar 68 (Figure 1) and a vertical plate 18 below the said channel. A second plate 1| extends between the side plates 3 and is welded.

thereto and also to the channel bar 68 and the plate 18 so as to extend at an angle to a vertical plane. Bearing brackets 12 are attached to the plate 1|, and shafts 13 and 14 are journalled in these brackets. The shaft 13 carries spirals for spreading the road building materials while the shaft 14 carries agitating pins 15 for agitating the materials, as disclosed in my copending application.

An operators platform 16 carrying a seat 11 is secured to the platform 32 and extends rearwardly thereof. This platform 16 is provided with a plurality of slots 18 for receiving the various control levers for the different clutches or the like, as will later more fully appear.

In referring to Figures 1 and 6, it will be observed that the transmission in the housing 36 is connected by suitable sprocket gearing 18 with a jack shaft 88 suitably supported upon the framework of the machine. The shaft 88 is connected by sprocket gearing 8| to the shafts 82 which in turn are geared to shafts 83 by spur gears 84 and 85. The shafts 83 are geared to the crawler shafts l6 by means of sprocket gear ing 86.

The jack shaft is also geared to the two aligned spiral spreaders 13 by two sets of sprocke-t gearing 81. The jack shaft 88 is also geared by a sprocket chain 88 to a double sprocket 88 loosely mounted upon one of the spiral spreader shafts 13, and a sprocket chain 88 operatively connects the double sprocket with a sprocket 8| on the agitating shaft 14.

The connection between the shaft 88 and the sprocket gearing 8| is effected through clutch elements 92 and 83. The driving connection between the jack shaft 88 and. the aligned spiral spreading elements is effected through clutch elements 94 and 95. The clutch levers for operating these clutches extend through the operators platform for ready manipulation. The levers for controlling the clutch elements 83 are indicated at 86 and 81. These levers are mounted side by side upon a cylindrical support 88. One lever is connected to a link 88 while the other is connected to a link I88. The links 88 and I80 are connected to bell crank levers 8| ments and agitated by the rotary agitator.

which in turn are pivotally connectedby links I02 to arms I03 operating rock shafts I04 upon which shifter levers I05 are secured that are connected to the clutch elements 93.

The clutch elements 94 are actuated by shipper levers I06 upon rock shafts I01 which have arms I08 pivotally connected to links I09, which in turn are pivotally connected to bell crank levers IIO supported upon studs IIIla. The bell crank levers IIO are pivotally connected to links III. One of the links III is connected to an operating lever H2 and the other to a lever H3. The levers II 2 and H3 are rockably mounted upon a support II4. Thus, it will be apparent that each spiral spreading element and each crawler may be independently controlled and driven with respect to the other.

In the operation of this machine, the road building material may be placed upon the road, as desired. If desirable, it may be hauled by a truck and gradually poured in front of the machine so as to descend in front of or upon the inclined plate I. In such an event, the truck can be gradually propelled forward through the engagement with the rollers I4.

The material deposited upon the roadbed will be spread over the roadbed by the spiral ele- Behind the rotary agitator are the tampers that alternately rise and fall for tamping the material and the screed for smoothing the same.

Before starting the machine, the tampers and screed may be adjusted to the proper elevation by the operation of the winding shaft 62, the arms pivoting on the shoes during such adjustment. Thereafter the screed may be adjusted by operating the screws 23 as explained in my issued patent. When the machine is travelling from place to place, the screed and tampers may be elevated a suitable distance above the road by thewinding shaft 62, as previously explained.

The machine involving this invention is especially useful in paving streets in cases where the paving material is already prepared and taken to the roadway ready for use, in that it is a self-propelled machine. It will be appreciated that the feature of pivotally supporting the main structure on the crawlers and counter-balancing the same provides an advantageous flexibility that is very desirable in such machines.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than is necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a road-finishing machine, a pair of ground travelling members, a frame pivoted to said members, means for counter-balancing said frame, a screed rearward of said frame, tampers supported on said screed, side bars pivoted to said screed and connected to said members, and operating mechanism on said frame connected to said tampers and automatically adjustable for vertical movements of said screed.

2. In a road-finishing machine, a frame, means for supporting said frame for travelling movements, a screed rearward of said frame, a tamper supported on said screed, arms pivoted to said screed and connected to said means, and operating mechanism on said frame operatively connected to said tamper and unaffected by vertical movements of said screed.

3. In a road-finishing machine, a pair of crawlers, a framer connected to said crawlers, a screed rearward of said frame, a tamper supported on said. screed, arms connected to said screed and extending forwardly thereof, shoes adapted for travelling upon the ground connected to the forward ends of said arms, and operating mechanism upon said frame connected to said tamper and responsive to vertical movements of said screed.

4. In a road finishing machine, a main frame, a screed in trailing relation to said main frame, a tamper carried by said screed, arms pivoted to said screed and extending forwardly thereof, shoes adapted for travelling upon the ground pivoted to the forward ends of said arms, links connecting said arms and machine, operating mechanism on said frame connected to said tamper, and means for elevating said screed and tamper and maintaining said operating mechanism effective.

5. In a road-finishing machine, a main frame, a screed rearward of said frame, a tamper supported by said screed, operating mechanism on said main frame connected to said tamper, and hoisting means for elevating said screed and tamper and. maintaining said operating mechanism effective.

6. In a road-finishing machine, a pair of crawlers, a frame pivotally sustained by said crawlers, a screed, a tamper supported by said screed, arms pivoted to said screed and having means adapted for travelling upon the road, links connecting said arms and crawlers for imparting traction to said screed, a hoisting shaft, and cable means connecting said shaft and screed.

7. In a road-finishing machine, including a frame, a screed in trailing relation to said frame, arms pivoted to said screed, means connecting said arms and frame, a tamper supported by said screed, operating mechanism on said frame, including a driving member swingable in an arc, and an adjustable connection between said driving member and tamper.

8. In a road-finishing machine, a pair of crawlers, a frame pivoted to said crawlers and comprising a vertical portion and a horizontal forwardly extending portion, said forwardly extending portion having means for engaging and advancing a truck, said forwardly extending portion of said frame also forming a chute for receiving road building material from said truck, a screed in trailing relation to said frame and supported directly on the surface of the previously laid pavement and a tamper adjacent said screed and operating mechanism on the vertical portion of said frame for operating said tamper.

9. In a road-finishing machine, a pair of crawlers, a frame secured to said crawlers, and comprising a vertical portion and a forwardly extending horizontal portion having means at its forward end for engaging and advancinga truck, said forwardly extending portion defining a space for receiving road building material from said truck, means carried by said frame for spreading said material, a screed in trailing relation to said frame, arms pivoted to said screed and extending adjacent said crawlers, means upon the forward ends of said arms for travelling upon the roadway, and drag links for connecting said arms to said crawlers.

10. In a road-finishing machine, a power unit, a screed connected in trailing relation to said power unit, an operated shaft supported upon said screed, a tamper in front of said screed, means connecting said tamper and shaft and operating mechanism on said power unit for rotating said shaft including a connection uneffected by different elevations of said screed.

11. In a road-finishing machine, a pair of crawlers, a frame comprising a vertical portion and a horizontally and forwardly extending portion, means pivotally connecting said frame to said crawlers, said forwardly extending portion of said frame having an equalizing bar for engaging and advancing a truck and being formed to provide a chute for receiving material from said truck, means carried by said frame for spreading road building material, a screed in trailing relation to said frame and supported directly on the surface of the previously laid pavement and means for connecting said screed to said crawlers.

12. In a road building machine, a screed adapted to ride upon the pavement and being of substantial width for supporting a substantial portion of the weight of the machine directly upon the surface of the finished road, a tamper adjacent the front edge of the screed and supported thereby, means between the tamper and the screed for causing relative vertical movement between the tamper and the screed, means for controlling the thickness of the finished pavement by adjusting the portion of the area of the screed which makes contact with the tamped portion of the pavement being constructed, traction means for embracing the roadway, and common drive means connecting said tamper and traction means together into a single unit adapted to be propelled" along the roadway by said traction means.

13. In a road paving machine, a screed adapted to be supported directly upon the pavement, means having support upon the roadway and connected to said screed for tilting the screed for varying the thickness of the pavement, compacting means supported upon said screed, a power means including tractor means for drawing said screed over the roadway, and means on said power means for operating said compacting means, said power means and screed being connected together for propulsion as a single unit along a roadway.

14. In a road building machine, means for compacting road material to a predetermined level on the road-bed, means for controlling said level including a screed movable lengthwise of the roadway and located to the rear of the compacting means and supported directly upon the top of the compacted road, adjustable means for changing the angular relation of said screed to the level of said laid pavement to change the thickness of the pavement being compacted, a

traction device having means for receiving anddepositing road paving material upon the roadbed in advance of the compacting means, and a :power plant common to said' traction device and way, a means connecting said traction means and screed together for propulsion together as a unit along the roadway, a prime mover common to both the compacting means and the traction means and supported with its weight substantially applied to the screed, and adjustable means for changing the angular relation of said screed to the level of the laid pavement to readjust thereafter the thickness of the pavement being compacted, said adjustable means including a leverage means pivotally connected to the screed and extending forwardly of the compacting means for embracing the unpaved roadway and arranged and constructed to effect a return of the screed to a horizontal position upon adjustment and forward movement of the screed.

16. In a road building machine, a screed member adapted to be supported directly on tlie freshly laid pavement having a substantially vertical front plate and a bottom plate adjustable relative to the horizontal to vary the thickness of the pavement, tamping means supported upon said screed member adjacent said front plate,- traction means including a pair of spaced caterpillar crawlers for propelling said screed forward over the roadway, a prime mover common to both said tamping means and said traction means and movable therewith along the roadway as a single unit, and material chute means disposed directly between said crawlers and being arranged to discharge road materials rearwardly toward said tamping means.

17. In a road finishing machine, a pair of road traveling members, a frame pivoted to said members, said frame comprising a portion for sustaining the operating mechanism of the machine and a forwardly extending counterweighted portion having an opening through which road paving material is adapted to be deposited upon the road, means upon the forward end of said frame for engaging and propelling a truck, a screed, a tamper supported at the forward edge of said screed, means for connecting said screed and tamper in trailing relation to said frame and road traveling members, and means on said frame for operating said tamper.

18. In a road finishing machine, a frame, means.

for supporting said frame for traveling movements, 2. screed rearward of said frame, a tamper supported upon said screed and adapted for tamp-' ing the road in advance of said screed, arms pivoted to said screed and having support upon the roadway in advance of the screed, a connection between said arms and means, and operating mechanism on said frame operatively connected to said tamper and unaffected from an operating standpoint by vertical movements of said screed.

19. In a road finishing machine, a frame having a vertical portion for sustaining the operating mechanism of the machine, and having a forwardly extending substantially horizontal portion at a lower elevation slightly spaced above the road, said forwardly extending horizontal portion forming a chute adapted for receiving road paving material, traveling members for supporting said frame for traveling movements, a screed rearward of said frame, arms pivotally connected to said screed and --'extending forwardly thereof, means upon the forward ends of said arms for traveling upon the roadway, connections between said arms and traveling members, a shaft supported upon said arms adjacent the forward portion of said screed, a tamper supported by said shaft, and means on said frame for operating said shaft and tamper.

20. In a road finishing machine, a frame having a portion for sustaining operating mechanism and a forwardly extending substantially horizontal portion at a lower elevation and in the nature of an open chute adapted for receiving paving material and allowing it to freely pass therethrough to the road bed, said horizontal portion having means at its forward end adapted for engaging and propelling a truck, traveling members for supporting said frame, a screed solely supported upon the pavement rearwardly of said frame and having a pivotal connection with said traveling members, a tamper carried by said screed, and means on said frame for operating said tamper.

21. In a road building machine, a power unit having a forwardly extending open frame forming a chute for guiding paving material upon the road bed and having means at its forward end adpted for engaging and propelling a truck, a finishing unit in trailing relation to said power unit, said finishing unit comprising a screed solely supported upon the pavement and having a pivotal connection with said power unit, a tamper carried by the forward portion of said screed, and means on the power unit for operating said tamper for tamping the paving material in advance of the screed.

22. In a road building machine, a pair of crawlers, a frame pivoted to said crawlers and comprising a vertical portion rearward of said crawlers adapted for sustaining operating mechanism, and a horizontal forwardly extending portion that is slightly spaced above the roadway, said forwardly extending portion being in the nature of an open frame adapted for receiving road building ma terial and having means at its forward end adapted for engaging and propelling a truck, means connected to the forward portion of said frame for counterbalancing the frame, means rearward of the horizontal portion of the frame for spreading said material and tamping and smoothing means in trailing relation to said frame and having a drag link connection with said crawlers. 

